Gulf Coast Records
The Boneshakers return to the fundamentals of great roots music: groove, chemistry, feel, and songs with room to breathe on this mini album of six tracks. Eschewing studio gloss, the band puts Jenny Langer’s powerhouse vocals and Randy Jacobs’ expressive guitar firmly at the heart of the sound.
Opening with Your Luck Won’t Last originally associated with Was (Not Was), the band immediately establishes its swaggering, bluesy character. Langer delivers with smoky authority while Jacobs adds understated guitar flourishes.
Help The Poor, moves deeper into traditional blues, revealing the emotional range of Langer’s voice against a relaxed, late-night arrangement that allows every vocal nuance and guitar phrase to resonate. The title track, Pull Up The Roots, brings a funkier, roots-rock edge, with Jacobs locking into an infectious groove and Langer riding the rhythm with confidence. Eat A Peach, shifts towards a loose Southern sensibility, blending blues-rock muscle with an easy-rolling feel and finely judged musicianship.
New Orleans flavour dominates Fire On The Bayou, a humid, funky workout that captures the Crescent City spirit without becoming cliché. Jacobs’ restrained guitar work and Langer’s fiery delivery make it one of the album’s most infectious moments. Closing with Fly On The Wall, the band adopts a more intimate approach.
The spacious arrangement gives Langer room to shine, while Jacobs adds subtle colour around her vocal. Blues, soul, funk, country, and Louisiana roots flow naturally throughout, yet The Boneshakers remain comfortably their own band. Most importantly, this music sounds played, not processed.
Raw, soulful and groove heavy, Pull Up The Roots is a confident celebration of character, chemistry and songs that speak for themselves.
COLIN CAMPBELL
